Amblyscirtes (Flor) meridus Grishin, 2023

Zhang, Jing, Cong, Qian & Grishin, Nick V., 2023, Supplementary Materials and Appendix, Insecta Mundi 2023 (26), pp. 1-115 : 61-62

Amblyscirtes (Flor) meridus Grishin , new species

https://zoobank.org/ 9BBDAEE2-FF8A-4F93-A33D-7C95FDCC5BE6

( Fig. 6 part, 149–150, 375–376)

Definition and diagnosis. Phylogenetic trees reveal that a number of specimens from southeastern Mexico identified as Amblyscirtes florus (Godman, 1900) (type locality in Mexico: Nayarit, holotype sequenced as NVG-18083E07) show prominent genetic differentiation from it ( Fig. 6): e.g., their COI barcodes differ by 4.1% (27 bp), and therefore represent a new species. This new species keys to A. florus (N.2.20) in Evans (1955) but differs from it by uncheckered fringes, less developed ventral white overscaling, and frequently better developed blotchy postdiscal pale band on ventral hindwing. Due to the cryptic nature of this species, most reliable identification is achieved by DNA and a combination of the following base pairs is diagnostic in the nuclear genome: aly 2195.3.17:C141T, aly252.16.2:T159C, aly1259.29.5:C66A, aly536.215.2:T210C, aly3268.16.2:A96G, and COI barcode: T118C, A166G, T193C, T304C, 373C.

Barcode sequence of the holotype. Sample NVG-19023D09, GenBank OR837689, 658 base pairs: AACTTTATATTTTATTTTTGGTATTTGAGCAGGAATATTAGGAACTTCGTTAAGATTATTAATTCGTACTGAATTAGGAAATCCTGGATCTTTAATT GGAGATGACCAAATTTATAACACTATTGTAACAGCTCATGCCTTTATTATAATTTTCTTTATAGTTATGCCTATTATAATTGGAGGTTTTGGAAACT GATTAGTTCCTTTAATATTAGGAGCTCCTGATATAGCTTTTCCTCGAATAAATAATATAAGATTTTGAATATTACCTCCTTCATTAATATTATTAAT TTCAAGAAGAATCGTGGAAAATGGTGCAGGTACTGGATGAACAGTTTATCCCCCCCTTTCATCAAATATTGCACATCAAGGCTCATCTGTTGATTTA GCTATTTTTTCCCTTCATTTAGCTGGTATTTCTTCTATTTTAGGAGCTATTAATTTTATTACTACAATTATTAATATACGAATTAAAAATATATCAT TTGATCAAATACCCTTATTTGTTTGATCAGTAGGTATTACTGCTTTATTACTACTTTTATCTTTACCTGTTTTAGCAGGAGCTATTACTATACTTCT TACAGATCGAAATTTAAATACTTCATTTTTTGATCCTGCTGGAGGAGGAGATCCAATTTTATATCAACATTTATTT

Type material. Holotype: ♂ deposited in the National Museum of Natural History , Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA ( USNM), illustrated in Fig. 149–150, bears the following seven rectangular labels, six white: [Paso San Juan | V. Cruz.], [♂], [B.C.A.Lep.Rhop. | Eutychide | asema | Mab.], [Collection | W. Schaus],

[ DNA sample ID: | NVG-19023D09 | c/o Nick V. Grishin ], [USNMENT | {QR Code} | 01532841], and one red [HOLOTYPE ♂ | Amblyscirtes (Flor) | meridus Grishin ]. Paratypes: 4♂♂ from Mexico, H. A. Freeman leg. [ AMNH]: NVG-18021A08 Tamaulipas, 15 mi S of Llera de Canales, 27-Jul-1966 ; NVG-18021A09 Tamaulipas, Monte, 22-Jul-1964, genitalia H-137 ; NVG-19042H11, AMNH _ IZC 00337912 Tamaulipas, Victoria , 16-Aug- 1962 ; NVG-19042H09, AMNH _ IZC 00337910 Veracruz, Catemaco , 10-Aug-1967 .

Type locality. Mexico: Veracruz, Paso San Juan.

Etymology. In Latin, meridiem stands for midday and southeastern and signifies more eastern distribution of this species than its sister A. florus . The name is an adjective.

Distribution. Southeastern Mexico.